Change of Plans - Istanbul to Sydney

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  Istanbul, Turkey
Friday, November 9, 2007

Different people travel for different reasons. We like the unknown, the unexpected, the surprises and oh boy, have we found our match or what?
Our trip in Europe was great but the more we cycled, the more we wanted the trip to be more than just a cycling vacation. So when we arrived in Turkey, we contacted the largest environmental company in Turkey, TEMA, and asked if they would like us to raise money for them. They came back and asked if we would be willing to cycle all the way from Istanbul to Sydney to raise awareness (of global warming) and money, which would be used to fund a project of our choice that would help combat with the climate change. We did not even blink (but did chest bump and Beavis and Butthead dance - in that order). So here I am at my desk at the TEMA office, working with our map specialist on our route and trying to find the best month to cross the Taklamakan desert and the Himalayas!!!
The geography is rough and tough (remember Borat?) and needs a lot of planning. I (G)will also publicize the tour, which will be promoting our mission. We will have a website in Turkish and English which we'll update every 10 days or so. We will visit the NGOs along the way and work with the media in those countries. TEMA is covering some of our costs but because we will be covering 30,000 km in 17 months, our budget is spread thin. We are looking for sponsors so if you know of a potential one, please let us know.
There are two birds at the window sill as I write this. It's a sunny day although I know it's freezing outside. Here in Istanbul, we ride our bikes a lot and mingle with family and friends. We wake up early in the morning and watch Istanbul as it wakes up. The stray dogs bark, the seagulls hover over our heads, the pretty ferries start crossing The Bosphorous and we hear the alarms going off around the neighborhood. At 6:30 am, Papis, my dad's parrot starts yelling Bryan's or my dad's name, begging for breakfast (he hates me and bites my toes every chance he gets). We go downstairs and my father is making tea in the kitchen.
Life goes on in Istanbul.
And it's beautiful.
Ps: We can't upload the pics for some reason, next time...

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